


Sangue e Lussuria

by Starisia



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Eventual Smut, F/M, M/M, Pureblood Lavi, Romance, Slow Build, Vampire Kanda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 14:17:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starisia/pseuds/Starisia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boy's breathing and heartbeat became erratic as he tried to take in enough air to scream, but with every breath, every beat of his frantic heart, his vision grew darker, leaving him at the demons mercy...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Brown hair hung in silver hued eyes, plastered to the left side by the crimson gore that streamed in thick rivulets from the open wounds that now marred a once flawless complexion as the boy ran. His footsteps and heavy breathing the only sounds that reached his ears in the empty cobblestone streets, his vision obstructed by the blood that threatened to blind him every time he attempted to open his left eye. An upside down star rested above his brow, carved into the flesh with a sharp precision that almost matched that of a surgeon's scalpel. A jagged line descended from the the point, shifting to the side a bit before continuing its downwards trek and coming to an end near his chin, only for blood to continue its downwards trek. The crimson liquid dripped from his chin, droplets staining the once pristine white of his shirt and leaving a trail of droplets in his wake.

His lungs were slowly but surly conceding to the icy burn that tried to envelop them as they cried out, screaming for the oxygen it was so hard to get when he couldn't even dream of slowing his frantic pace. Adrenalin coursed through his veins with each rapid beat of his pounding heart, the powerful hormone only thing that stopped him from feeling the burning agony that should have emanated from his open wound and bare feet that continued to be assaulted by the harsh stone as he ran.

' _ _I've gotta keep going!__ ' He thought desperately, pushing his body that much harder despite screaming protest his muscles gave. He had already pushed himself, so far past the limits he had once thought himself capable of, but he knew he couldn't stop. He had to keep going, had to keep pressing forward, even if it meant crashing through the barriers that should have symbolized his limits.

Ragged pants escaped from his lungs, and he tried to ignore the icy burn in his throat as he chanced a glance back over his shoulder, only to find the streets behind him as empty as a ghost town. The only sign that anyone had been down that path any time in the last decade were the small droplets of dark crimson he left in his wake, the dark liquid appearing almost black in the night's low light. Despite that, he didn't slow, knew if he did, it would surly mean his end.

He knew his pursuer was there, could feel his hungry eyes boring into him from the shadows, watching, waiting for his strength to abandon him. And he knew it was only a matter of time before that happened and when it did...

He already knew what would become of him, had already had a feeling what would happen if he lost the moment this twisted little game began.

He was the mouse in the cat's game. The insignificant piece of prey that couldn't escape, knew they would die, but still continued to run, hoping - __praying__ \- that by some miracle they would survive long enough to see the sun rise. But even as those hopes surged, he knew how wretched the odds, a voice in the back of his head whispering how pointless even the idea of hope was in this situation. He was the one who would be sacrificed so that another could live, but he couldn't make himself stop running, couldn't surrender to the fate he already knew awaited him at the hands of his hunter.

At this hour when the stars and moon reigned over the skies, when the streets were all but devoid of life there was no-one to run to.

No-one to hear his screams even if he'd had the breath to scream and no-one to save him.

All he could do was run.

He turned a corner, racing down the darkened alleyway with all the speed he could force into his already overtaxed muscles. But it was only a matter of seconds before silver orbs went wide, a sharp yell of denial tearing free of his throat before he could stop it as he came to a stumbling halt, his hands colliding with the solid brick.

His body trembled minutely, air being pulled greedily into his lungs with gasped breaths that left his throat and lungs feeling as though they'd been doused with ice water. He swallowed hard between breaths, eyes only growing wider, trembling only growing more forceful and legs threatening to give out beneath him as a velvety chuckle reached his ears, accompanied by the slow, steady click of expensive shoes on hard stone. Slowly, he once again glanced back over his shoulder, hoping against hope he would once again be greeted by empty space.

He had no such luck.

' _ _No... oh God, please no...__ '

He slowly turned his body to fully face the way he came, back pressing against the hard wall until it was pressing painfully against the ridges of his spine. He barely noticed, attention too focused on the sight before him for the discomfort to register in a frantic mind.

Standing at the maw of the alleyway, just out of range of the streetlight's faint glow stood the silhouette he had dreaded seeing each time he had glanced back, and now made terror sweep through him like never before.

"Done running already, Boy?" The hunter asked, his voice dark and smooth, ringing with amusement and barely contained anticipation. In the faint light, the boy could just make it out as one side of the man's mouth quirked upwards in a smirk of obvious delight as he continued approaching at a leisurely pace.

He carried himself with a confidence that made it clear that he knew his own power and he knew he had his prey trapped with nowhere for the young man to run to and nowhere for him to hide from that piercing gold gaze.

He wore a pristine white dress shirt that hung loose on his form, though it still managed to show off the well muscled frame that lay beneath. Long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail at the base of his neck, falling to the middle of his back in a torrent of ebony waves. His skin was an inhuman gray and his eyes gold and black; those of a demon sent from hell to destroy the innocent who stood before him now, and they held something, a hunger that made the boy's blood all but freeze in his very veins.

Silver eyes flickered past the hunter, trying to find some sort of escape despite the way his mind screamed at him to just surrender to the cruel hand fate had decided to deal him. That it was hopeless and all he could do now was wait for the end to come and hope that his tormentor might make it quick. But even as that part screamed, another screamed louder, telling him that he had to at least __try__ , and yet... he knew all too well that, even if he did, by some miracle, escape, he couldn't run anymore.

He just didn't have the strength.

The man's smirk morphed into a smile, almost as though he could hear the way his heart's pace quickened and his mind raced, and that expression made the boy's terror that much worse. His eyes were easily drawn to the unnatural teeth that sent dread crashing through him like a physical force; the unnaturally long canines, each settled between two other pointed teeth that looked as though they could tear into his flesh without any true resistance.

"I will admit," He began in that silken voice that set an icy shiver down his prey's spine as he halted a few feet away, "you lasted longer than I expected, but..." The look in his eyes grew sharper, smile widening in a way that made his prey's stomach twist, "I think it's time our little 'game' came to an end...Wouldn't you agree?"

A wave of fear crashed through the boy, sending another rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins and momentarily pushing back the ache and exhaustion, replacing it all with a single desire that blocked everything else out; the burning need to __live__.

Without a thought or even a moment's hesitation he rushed forward in one last desperate attempt to get passed the two. The hunter blinked a moment, seemingly caught off guard by the boys sudden attempt, something the boy hoped could be to his advantage.

But again, his luck was lacking, the moment of surprising lasting less than that before his gaze turned sharp, lips pursing together in a firm line.

"I've grown tired of your running, boy."

His voice came out on a low hiss, right beside the boy's ear, the only warning he received before a strong hand wrapped around a thin throat, yanking him back against the hard chest. He gasped, hand coming up to yank and claw at the hand that held him captive, but it did no good. The hand at his throat only tightened, robbing him completely of his ability to breathe.

The boy felt his feat leave the ground, eyes going wider still and struggles increasing in intensity. He twisted his body, writhing in the man's grasp, continuing to claw at his hand and kicking at the monster with his feet. He didn't care the the struggles only seemed to add to the strain on his neck, didn't care that the man was obviously hundreds of times stronger than him, all he cared about was breaking free of the suffocating hold.

The man barely seemed effected, his arm holding steady, his skin remaining in tact, even beneath the onslaught of his prey's nails. Even his expression showed only an expression of exasperated incredulity as though the boy's struggles were nothing more than an annoyance he easily could have done without, up until his smirk returned. A flicker of that expression was all the boy saw, the only thing he caught in a warning before the world twisted around him, everything blurring as he was whirled about at an inhuman speed.

A sound escaped his throat, eyes going wide and body convulsing in sheer pain as he came into contact with the hard wall he had been pressed against just moments ago. His vision blurred around the edges, a dampness forming on the back of his head as he felt the hand loosen. He couldn't run though, couldn't find the strength or will to move as his body twitched in protest, his legs already limp. The only thing keeping his upright was the hand around his throat.

"I've grown tired of your running, Boy." The hunter stated, a bored not in his voice, though the words and tone barely registered to his prey's scrambled mind. "You know, I had planned on making this pleasurable for you. Let your last night have at least something good in it, but now..." He trailed off, before turning, tossing his stunned captive to the ground several feet away, and earning another choked sound from his throat as he tried to roll over and force himself up. But his body only cried out in protest, his vision blurring closer to the center. "I think I've changed my mind."

The hunter slowly approached leisurely, each click of his shoes on stone sounding like another nail in the coffin that was slowly being sealed. The hunter paused when he reached his side, one foot pressing against the boy's shoulder and forcing his half turned body to the ground. Shaking hands tried to force it away, but like every other struggle it had no effect. The hunter's foot didn't budge until he moved it of his own will, before he knelt over the younger males prone form.

A hand weaved into bloodied locks, the fingers twining into brunette strands deceptively gentle, up until they were grasped in a harsh fist. The hunter yanked harshly on the strands, forcing his young victim to expose a pale a pale throat. His smirk once again morphed this time becoming a savage grin of sadistic glee that left gleaming fangs on full display.

The boy felt his heart race faster, the beat pounding so loud and hard in his ears he thought it might explode in his chest. His weak struggles returned, head shifting in a vain attempt to loosen the hunter's hold, and fists coming up to beat against his captor's chest with all the meager strength the mortal could still muster in a final desperate attempt to get free.

But just as before it did little good, only serving to earn him an agitated growl from the man poised over him as both his wrists were caught in one hand, and yanked aside. The hand tangled in brown locks yanked harder, forcing the boy's neck back at an unnatural angel that he thought - almost hoped - might snap his neck, so that he wouldn't have to feel what was to come.

For better or worse though, his neck remained in tact and eyes and jaw were both clenched shut as that mouth moved to the place where neck met shoulder. Lips pressed against pulse, remaining there for a few short seconds before they parted. The next thing the boy knew, silver eyes were snapping open, body convulsing and lips parting on a silent scream as fangs sank deep into soft flesh, sending a surge of white hot agony crashing through the boy's veins.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I actually finished this a few months ago and didn't realize I hadn't posted it yet... Sorry about that! ^_^"

The night was calm, the stars vivid and bright overhead alongside the crescent moon that showed as little more than a silver sliver hanging high in the sky. A few thin wisps of cloud drifted across the deep midnight blanket, blocking out a few of the pale pinpricks of light, but not nearly enough to cast the world into complete shadow.

The only thing that really made the night any different than usual to the dark eyes of the hunter that stalked along the edge of a rooftop, was the dark smoke that drifted up into the sky, not too far south of where he stood, his keen eyes easily catching sight of the flames that licked at the aging wood structure below He paid it little heed though, barely making an annoyed sound low in his throat as the acrid smell of the accursed smoke reached his nostirels, despite the faint breeze that blew it the opposite direction and made his hair sway minutely with the warm wind.

That was one smell he never quite got used to no matter how many times it reached him; the stench of a raging blaze burning all it touched to no more than ash and cinder, and the memories it ignited were quickly brushed aside with an agitated growl. He turned his attention back to the task at hand, continuing his moonlit stroll across the raised edge of the rooftop and keeping his gaze locked firm on the ground below.

The streets were virtually empty as far as keen eyes could see, very few willing to venture out at this hour, even in a part of the city where sparse signs of life could usually be sighted no matter what the hour, and he vaguely wondered if the fire he could see in the distance was part of the reason why.

Before his thoughts could wander any farther a sound reached his ears, a soft chiming and the opening of a door, soon followed by the sound of a woman's voice calling a soft farewell. He listened a moment as the door closed, and, finding only one set of footsteps, he hopped from his perch at the rooftop's edge, strolling over to the opposite side of the building at a leisurely pace.

He scanned the street below, ignoring the scent of cigarette and cigar smoke, and varying kinds of alcohol that drifted up from the pub on the other side, his eyes quickly finding the woman who's voice he'd heard from the other side as she made her way around a corner.

He scoffed softly, scanning the ground below for any other signs of life before taking a few steps back. He took a short running start for good measure, easily jumping to the rooftop opposite where he stood, crouching slightly as he landed before straightening up and walking along the raised edge with the grace and silence of a jungle cat. It didn't take him long to catch up with the unsuspecting mortal, and soon he was walking directly above her.

He could easily smell the alcohol on her, the cheep brandy along with the smell of cigarette and cigar smoke, the combination almost enough to make him wretch and turn away, saunter off in search of another, more appealing, target, but he didn't. It had taken too long to find a suitable piece of prey, and as unappealing as her scent may have been, he knew he couldn't be picky.

That seemed to be the law these days; you get picky, you die.

Simple as that.

He'd seen it happen numerous times. A vampire got picky and refused to feed from just anyone and eventually starved thanks to that stubborn pride that prevented them from lowering their standards, until they were nothing but ravenous animals. That, or they ended up killing whoever lived up to those standards, which forced _them_ to get involved and... well, when _they_ got involved, the one they were after usually wasn't heard from again.

He paused as he reached the edge of the rooftop, watching from his perch on the corner as the woman ran across the street, barely sober enough to keep from stumbling. He scoffed quietly, jumping the gap in the same fashion as earlier, and easily catching up, a small smirk forming on his lips as she turned down an alleyway.

Human's could be so foolish sometimes.

He turned, following her course and moving ahead to crouch low on the rooftop's edge. He stopped breathing, fangs slowly lengthening as lean muscles coiled, dark red-rimmed irises locked on the woman and counting down the moment before she would pass the space below so he could pounce.

Three...

Two...

One.

He leaned forward over the edge, ready to drop down as the woman passed him, only to freeze in place just as he prepared to drop, a sharp wind blowing, shifting his hair where it rested in the tight confines of the strict ponytail and carrying with it something that completely wiped the woman from his mild.

The scent was sweet, almost overwhelmingly so, but there was a fresh undertone to it that made it bearable along with a tang that made his gums ache, his canines lengthening before he could even think to stop them. His breathing slowed, becoming deeper as he drank in the tantalizing scent, trying to identify exactly what that delicious aroma was.

Slowly he straightened from his crouch, shooting the woman one last glance as she disappeared around the corner at the end of the alley. He didn't even consider going after her, instead facing straight forward, and closing his eyes. He held his breath for a few long moments to try and push down his instincts, and fight back the temptation. It had been a long time since he'd scented anything quite so appealing, and, while he wasn't about to let such a thing slip away, he knew he couldn't afford to let his instincts get the better of him with something like this.

But, as he began to calm, he realized something; the scent was too pronounced, too clear and too potent, unhindered by the flesh that should have contained it, a sure sign that something was wrong.

His eyes opened, and a furrow formed in his brow as he began moving in the direction of the scent, unsure whether it was curiosity or temptation driving him forward, or if it was annoyance at the thought of how much of that delicious smelling elixir was being spilled and wasted when it could have been sliding down his throat and quenching his thirst.

The scent steadily grew stronger the closer he got, and he knew his eyes had no doubt shifted from dark blue to deep crimson, pupil becoming a thin diamond, stilted and catlike. Within a few moments, he slowed his pace, pausing when he reached a rooftop where the scent drifted up from down below. He could feel his senses beginning to cloud, the too appealing smell seeming to catch him in it's alluring web, but he did his best to resist it's call.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, he glanced over the side of the rooftop, resting one leg on the edge as his eyes scanned the alley below, quickly finding their target. A small form laid sprawled on the ground, head turned toward one of the walls surrounding the dead end street, while a dark spot formed on the side of their neck, dripping down and pooling on the ground around them, matching the dark stain on the side of his chest.

The hunter pushed back the small pang of something that attempted to make itself known in his chest, and dropped down, landing almost silently and taking a few steps towards the wounded mortal. His eyes scanned over the unfamiliar form, taking it in. Now that he was closer, he could tell that it was a young male, maybe fifteen or sixteen at the most. Brown hair was splayed on the ground and sticking to his face, and through a place where the strands parted, he could see a faint glint of unseeing silver locked on the wall, and another small pool of blood had formed around his face as well.

He didn't even bother entertaining the thought of feeding from this boy any longer, not when he knew the blood of a dead man, no matter how fresh, would only make him ill, and he couldn't help but feel mildly disappointed.

Giving a soft sigh, he turned to leave, when the dark spot on the boy's neck caught his eye. He paused before moving closer and examining the wound, feeling annoyance and anger begin to make themselves known. The wound on his neck was jagged, and deep and his blood stained white shirt was torn. Several deep gashes could be seen through the tattered remains as though someone had dragged sharpened talons across the skin just so they could tear it and make the boy cry out in agony. The hunter couldn't help but feel the smallest pang of something, whether it was sympathy or pity he wasn't sure himself though he did his best to ignore it.

He stood, growling low in his throat. There was another like him near, and they were hunting in _his_ territory, not just that but killing prey that was meant to be his. "Che, and they couldn't even clean up their mess either," He half scoffed, lightly nudging the boy's shoulder with his foot.

A soft croaking sound escaped the boy, and the vampire's eyes widened a fraction, in disbelief. Slowly, he knelled down on one knee and he lightly nudged the boy once more, listening intently.

Another soft, nearly indistinguishable croak and the sudden stirring of a too quiet heartbeat.

He was still alive.

He swore under his breath in disbelief, and before he even realized what he was doing, he had pulled the scarf from around his neck and was looping one arm around the boy's shoulders, trying to ignore the burn in his throat as he sat him up, wrapping the scarf around his neck in case the wound on his neck was still bleeding. With the new position, he could see the deep cuts that had stained half the boys face red with blood and he was once again shocked at the fact that the boy was still alive.

Hooking one arm under the boy's legs when the scarf was secured, he took a quick glance around, wondering vaguely what the fuck he was doing before he took to the rooftops once more.

**S2 S2 S2 S2 S2**

It took longer than he would have liked to reach his loft, having had to keep his pace slow so as not to jostle the boy and his wounds too much, and repeatedly having to berate himself and snap himself back to reality when he began getting dragged in by the boy's scent once again.

He landed on the second story balcony with a muted thud. Maneuvering the boy in his arms as gently as he could, he opened the sliding glass door and stepped inside.

He barely realized the way he'd been listening to the human's heartbeat and breathing until he heard the kid's breath hitch in his throat before going back to the ragged rhythm it had maintained before. He could hear something off in the boy's breathing, as light and indistinguishable as it was, almost like liquid in his lungs, though there wasn't much. He assumed it was blood from how much of it seemed to cover the kid-it wouldn't have surprised him one bit if the brat had accidentally inhaled some.

He turned to close the door behind him, tensing slightly and taking a quick step to the side as he caught a flash of blurred red from the corner of his eye, accidentally jostling the boy in his arms and hearing his heartbeat falter ever so slightly. He heard the glass shudder as a form collided with it, and silently thanked whatever deity there was that the door hadn't cracked from the force.

With a sharp snarl, he turned his gaze on his intruder, already knowing who he'd find there. A tall red head stood before him, one eye covered with an eye patch, the other a vibrant green that was locked on the newly returned hunter.

"Aww~ Yuu, that was mean~" The ginger said, giving the him a pout. Seemingly unaware of the murderous aura that surrounded the dark haired vampire, the ginger's eye shifted to the boy in his arms. The red-head leaned in for a better look, blatantly entering his personal space. "Who's your friend?" He asked, a note of mild concern in his voice as he seemed to notice the blood on his face and chest.

"I told you never to call me that, Lavi" he growled, the boy in his arms the only thing stopping him from punching said red head in the jaw-and possibly taking the fucking pureblood's head off with the blow. He had enough blood to clean up from the brat, so he'd just have to kill the rabbit later-preferably outside where he wouldn't have to worry about the mess."Hell if I know. Now why the hell are you here?"

"I just wanted to pay ya' a visit. Is that so bad?"

"I don't believe you in the slightest, but since you're here anyway you might as well help me with this," He sighed, turning away from the redhead and moving to the hall.

He took the boy to the spare bedroom, setting him on the bed before swiftly tearing away his tattered shirt revealing the lightly toned chest underneath and the bleeding gashes no doubt left behind by his assailant, before he removed the scarf revealing the gaping wound in the boy's throat.

"Damn Yuu!" Lavi cried, his eye widening as he came in to kneel beside the bed to get a good look at the boy's wounds, "I get that he smells good, but did ya' have t' feed like a newborn? I mean seriously-!"

"I didn't do this, retard, and it's _Kanda_."

The red head looked at him curiously, "You didn't?"

"Che, of course not. Why would I bring him back here if I were the one responsible?"

"Then who...?"

Kanda scoffed loudly, taking a few steps back and crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't fucking know, Usagi. Now, will you shut the fuck up and see if there's anything that can be done before the kid croaks." He was in no mood to play twenty questions in an attempt to satisfy the rabbit's seemingly never ending curiosity, and he had little doubt that he would have thrown him off the balcony the instant he saw him, if it weren't for the kid. As annoying as the red-head could be, he knew that if anyone would know how to help the brat, it'd be him and the old geezer. And if the geezer wasn't around, he'd have to settle for him.

Kanda could almost see the switch turn in the usagi's mind, his expression going from that goofy look he usually wore, to a more serious one as he moved over to examine the boy's neck, before resting his ear against the kid's chest. He pulled back after a moment and slowly shook his head, with a soft sigh.

"Yuu... the kid's heart is barely beating. It doesn't take a genius to see he's lost a lot of blood, and it sounds like there's fluid in his lungs, probably his own blood. The only way he even has a chance at being saved is..."

A heavy silence fell, the unspoken words hanging in the air.

"I'm not gonna turn the kid," Kanda said flatly, "I won't push this mockery of a life onto someone who's not even conscious."

"Kanda, the only way this kid's gonna live is if he's given a vampire's blood. The wounds are too severe for a human to survive without some... intervention. I can guarantee you that he won't survive till sunrise if we try to treat his wounds normally."

"Then I guess he's going to die," Kanda replied turning towards the door. It made no difference to him whether the boy lived or died. It was only on a whim that he'd brought the boy back here in the first place. That's what he figured anyway. It was the only explanation why he hadn't just left him in the alley.

"There's a chance he won't if you give him your blood, though, Kanda."

The dark haired paused in his stride, shifting narrowed eyes to lock on the redhead over his shoulder. "Is that supposed to make a difference to me? Why should I care if some brat I don't eve know dies or not?"

Lavi sighed, fixing a bright green eye on the dark haired male. "Because it's not like you to just bring random strays home. You must have some desire to see him live..." His eye drifted to the boy on the bed for a moment, then back to Kanda, "His wounds... they're similar to how someone _else's_ were, aren't they?"

Kanda's brow twitched and he gave a loud scoff before turning back to the rabbit, "And need I remind you what happened to them?" He sneered, a distinct tone of bitterness lacing his tone. "And if you want to save the kid, why don't you just give him your blood, rabbit?"

"If I do it, he'll turn for sure. There's a chance he won't if it's you. You were turned, so your blood's not as potent. There's a chance it'll be able to heal him without him becoming one of us, so long as he doesn't die with it in his system."

Kanda was quiet a few long moments, and the red-head gave another deep sigh, "The longer you hesitate the less likely it is to work."

Giving a low 'tch' Kanda moved back over to the bed, dark eyes running across the kid's form, before locking on the blood covering his face, the distinct line of a long cut curving on his cheek. Without a word he seated himself on the bed, looping an arm loosely around the boy's shoulders and sitting him up, watching as his head lolled back, lips slightly parted. He brought his wrist to his lips, letting his fangs extend before sinking them deep into his own flesh. He cringed a bit as the sickeningly sweet taste of his own blood danced on his tongue.

He pulled it away, glancing at Lavi as he licked the blood from his lips and let his wrist hover over the human's lips, a few drops of blood dripping onto his lips and his already bloodied cheek. "If he turns, I'm blaming you."

"So be it," Lavi replied, a small smile curling his lips.

With that, Kanda pressed his bloodied wrist fully to the boy's lips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we have it at last. Sorry again for not posting this before, I honestly thought I had ^_^"
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone who bookmarked, watched, reviewed the last chapter. I was, admittedly pretty nervous about bringing this back and rewriting it, so I was really happy to see you guys were interested in this story. Thank you all so much!
> 
> I already have the next chapter mostly done, so hopefully I'll have it up within a descent time frame this time. But in the meantime I'd love to know what everyone thought of this chapter.
> 
> Thank you all very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One: Yes, I am alive
> 
> And two: I'M SO SORRY!
> 
> I know I've taken entirely too long again to update, but to be honest my DGM muse abandoned me for... well, way too long. But now that the Manga's back and the Anime's getting a new season my love for the series and this pairing is back, so HOPEFULLY that won't be an issue anymore.
> 
> But for now to make it up to you at least a little bit I have two chapters for you all tonight, so I hope you enjoy!

The water in the large bowl was a dark shade of pink, bordering on the precipice of red as Kanda pulled his hands from it, wringing the blood stained rag out before draping it over the side of the dish. He glanced back to Lavi, watching as the redhead checked the bandages he'd placed on the kid's form, making sure the ones on his neck and chest weren't so tight as to hinder his ability to breathe.

After Kanda had pulled his wrist from the boy's lips and wrenched it free of the weak hand that tried to pull it back, Lavi had disappeared, not returning until Kanda had started to think he'd been abandoned to the fate of dealing with the brat alone. As soon as he returned, he revealed the reason, setting about cutting and pealing the bloodied shirt from the boy's form before he began wiping down and disinfecting the boy's injuries, saying that, even if Kanda's blood was enough to keep him alive for now, that didn't mean he was completely out of the woods yet. He'd then proceeded to drag Kanda into helping him, charging the dark hair vampire with cleansing the wounds on the boy's chest, while Lavi tended to the human's eye.

"How is he?" Kanda asked, once Lavi seemed satisfied with his handiwork, pulling away from his patient and placing a blanket over his frame.

The redhead straightened up, stretching his arms up above his head before folding them behind his head with a low sigh. "Well, his heartbeat's still pretty weak, and his breathin's still not that great. I think it could go either way. I've done everything I can in this situation, but he's not in the clear yet. I'd say if he can make it through the day, he might have a good chance of survivin' this."

Kanda gave a nod of understanding, the only response he granted the other vampire as he settled back in his seat, eyes set on the brunette.

**S2 S2 S2 S2 S2**

The pair remained there in silence, Kanda lounging, eyes closed in a chair in a shadowed corner, and Lavi leaning against a far wall, seemingly lost in thought. The sun slowly rose, igniting the room in a dim glow that the curtains couldn't fully block. For some while the only sounds that filled the room were those of three heartbeats and the breathing that accompanied each. It wasn't until the sun was well into the sky that the silence was broken by something else.

"Oi, Yuu, why don'cha go an' get some rest?" Lavi suggested, moving away from the wall and letting his arms lower to his side, only continuing when Kanda turned dark eyes on him. "I'll keep an eye on the kid, and get ya if he wakes up."

"I'm fine." Kanda stated stubbornly, drawing a faint pout to the redhead's lips.

Kanda paid it little heed, instead letting his eyes fall closed once more. He could handle sunlight far better than many of their kind, one of the benefits that came from being turned by a pureblood, so he had little concern for it. It was a mild annoyance that made him a bit tired, but he could handle that until he was sure that the stray he'd brought in would live.

Silence fell once more, but not for nearly as long as the first, nor as long as Kanda had hoped.

"C'mon, Kanda. I know ya wanna know if the kid turns, but exhaustin' yourself ain't gonna do any good. I promise I'll come and get'cha if his heart so much as skips a beat, just get some rest."

Kanda looked at the red head for a moment before his gaze drifted to the boy who was sleeping soundly, cold gaze assessing if not mildly annoyed. Just as Lavi had stated, the boy's heartbeat and breathing were both a bit off to the Vampire's ears, but not as much as before. And though that did indeed offer a small amount of relief, Kanda was still somewhat reluctant to leave the boy until he was sure whether or not he would turn.

The last thing he wanted was to wake up and find that he was stuck with a newborn fledgling who didn't even know what the fuck he'd become-much less how to take care of himself. As much as Kanda preferred to limit how much time he spent with other Vampire's-especially new borns-he knew he wouldn't have much choice if this one turned.

That was one of the so called 'laws' that those under the coven's eye had to live by if they wished to avoid being set upon by their 'law keepers'. If the kid turned, it would be Kanda's blood in hie veins, and as such he would be responsible for him until he was 'mature'.

"It's not gonna make a difference if you're here or not," Lavi continued, drawing Kanda back from that less than pleasant train of thought. "He'll either live or turn no matter whose with 'em. Besides, if he does turn, you'll need your strength..."

Kanda, rather than shoot the redhead down immediately, actually considered this time. That was true, though he was loathe to admit it. With the excess of human blood remaining in their veins, newborns were exceedingly powerful, rivaling even a pureblood-one of the reasons that law had come into place to begin with. So of course, facing off and trying to restrain one at only part of his own strength would not be wise, even with Lavi at his side.

Giving a quiet 'tch, Kanda reluctantly got to his feet, not saying anything more to the other male before moving towards the door, and exciting the room in favor of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yeah I know super short chapter this time around, but that's why I chose to upload two at once. it just felt weird transitioning without making it a new chapter, so I hope you enjoyed this one as well as the next-assuming you decide to read that is, which I hope you will ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, okay so I actually wrote this chapter in the span of just a few hours and honestly... I can't remember the last time I wrote this much in such a short amount of time, so I'm pretty pleased with that ^_^ Guess that's what happens when I get in a very real writing mood.
> 
> Anyway; on with chapter 4~

A head filled with cotton and a body made of lead were the fist things Allen became aware of as awareness began to return. Everything felt heavy, even as he felt as though he were floating in a darkness he had never known before.  


Though, perhaps floating wasn't the right word.

It almost felt as though the darkness has him wrapped in tendrils of its own making that were trying to drag him down, deeper and deeper deeper into it's hold.

It should have been frightening, some part of his mind vaguely reminded, but he found that it wasn't. There was something almost soothing about the blackness, and he almost wanted to let it drag him down.

Let him consume him and take him back into its hold and maybe relieve him of the lead flowing through his veins.

But there was something in that back of his mind.

An odd nagging, clawing thought that tried to drag its way to the surface... and the instant it did, he found his desire to sink back into the blackness being obliterated.

_Mana!_

Slowly Allen tried to fight the darkness, and after a moment's struggle he managed to open his eyes, an unwelcome tightness and sting making it more difficult than he would have hoped to open the left one.

A white ceiling greeted his silvery gaze, the snowy color darkened to grey by the dim light that filled the room.

He... he was alive?

How?

He was sure he was a goner as soon as that mane had cornered him so why was he...

Slowly, his limbs still feeling far heavier than what he thought should be possible, he pushed himself up, trying to ignore the pain and the feeling of nausea that made themselves known-a task far easier said than done.

"You're awake!"

The voice startled the young man, and he gave a small jolt of shock, head turning too fast in an attempt to see who had spoken. His vision spun and the urge to gag grew. causing him to bring a hand up to cover his mouth in an attempt to fight the urge down.

"Whoa, you okay little buddy?" the stranger inquired with a touch of concern in their voice, and Allen felt a steadying hand come to rest on his shoulder.

He nodded once, not trusting himself to speak, and he took a few slow, deep breaths through his nose. It was several long moments before the burn of acid in his throat subsided and he was confident enough in his ability to keep down whatever remained in his stomach to lower is hand.

"Careful there, buddy, you're in pretty rough shape. Don't need to be pushing yourself too much, so soon."

"Where..." Allen began, eyes finally moving to look at the stranger, and in an instant he felt fear flood through his veins.

The man that looked down at him was tall, with pale skin and flaming red hair, and the single green eye that Allen could see was all but sparkling with mirth and relief, a sight that, at any other time Allen may have been grateful for, if not a bit confused.

However, none of these were the things that sent Allen's heart racing in a panic, leaving him with the overwhelming urge to run, no.

The thing that made dread and fear course through his veins like an icy tide, were the stranger's teeth; the two sharper than normal canines that were all to visible with the other's lips pulled back in that cheerful grin, giving a whole new meaning to the otherwise friendly expression in Allen's eyes.

The other's expression shifted, confused concern showing on his face as he gave a slight tilt of his head as Allen's heart began to pick up it's pace, making him feel lightheaded.

No.

No, _no_ , _**no**_!

This couldn't be happening!

Slowly he began to scoot away from the other, the look on the other's face only growing that much more confused. His eye darted away, looking beyond Allen for a swift moment before returning to him once more.

"Hey, careful buddy you'll fa-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, for even as he spoke, he reached out, a hand moving as though to grasp at the boy's shoulder once more and in that instant Allen snapped, fear surging to a knew height.

"Stay back!" He screeched, practically diving away from the red head, and not even caring as that threw him from the bed. He landed on the floor on his elbows and knees, and agony seared through his chest and the side of his throat where neck met shoulder, tearing a gasped cry from his throat.

He felt a wetness beginning to bloom against his skin, and even in his current state, it wasn't hard for him to tell he must have been bleeding again. A hand grasped at the side of his neck, and his head quickly snapped up as the door to the strange room was thrown open.

Allen's panic only grew as he took in the new arrival.

The man standing in the doorway was also fairly tall, though not as tall as the ginger, and his skin wasn't quite as pale. He wore no shirt, leaving his upper body and the defined muscle that rested beneath the expanse of skin on full display, and his long, dark hair hung loose around his shoulder. His eyes were startlingly dark, appearing almost black at first glance, and if looks could kill, Allen had no doubt that he would have been dead the moment those sharp eyes came to rest on him.

The dark haired male moved towards him, not pausing for a moment even as Allen scrambled back until his back his the wall. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and hear the blood rushing through his ears, too fast and too loud to be normal. Once again Allen felt bile rise in his throat, and this time he couldn't fight it back. A small amount spilled from his mouth to the floor when the strange man finally stopped in front of him, expression not shifting in the slightest despite the smaller's actions.

"Tch, Dumbass," The man grumbled, and Allen hadn't thought his terror could grow any more before the dark haired knelt down and reached out, pulling him effortlessly from his place against the wall, despite his struggles. "You reopened your wounds."

He felt himself get scooped up from the floor and he froze in an instant, before the other deposited him on the bed.. His fear grew and he clenched his eyes shut tight, teeth gritting as his hand, followed by the bandage, were torn away from over his throat.

He scrambled back further, trembling as his back hit the headboard, leaving nowhere else for him to flee. The dark seated himself on the bed, and Allen knew the red head hadn't moved from his spot on the other side of the bed. "P-please," he pleaded through gritted teeth, "Please d-don't..."

"Yuu, c'mon, you're scaring him." The red head spoke, a note of what almost sounded like... concern? in his voice.

"Don't call me that," The dark haired huffed, sounding annoyed, and Allen slowly forced his eyes open to slits. The dark haired one was eyeing his throat, and Allen was amazed that his heart hadn't busted right through his ribs with the speed of its beat.

Now he was going to die. He was sure of it.

There was no way he could fight off two of them if he hadn't been able to fight off one. He just hoped these two would make it quick instead of dragging it out like the other one had

He could still feel a shadow if the burning agony in his veins, the searing pain on his chest where the cruel creature had drug its claws over the pale skin. He could almost hear the demon's laughter as it violently wretched its fangs from his neck only to lick the blood from his chest before returning to his throat and sinking his fangs in deeper than before, resulting in a scream of pure agony. He had prayed for the darkness that came with unconsciousness and death, but the demon had fought it back. Every time he came close to passing out, the demon had done something to cause him even more pain, pulling him back to the waking world no matter how hard he tried to stay away.

"Calm down!" The dark haired snapped suddenly, glaring at him through dark ebony tresses, and making Allen wince.

"There's no reason to be so mean, Kanda. That's not gonna help." the red head grumbled just loud enough for the boy to hear, earning a glare from the other-Kanda, Allen supposed.

Taking a deep breath, Allen managed to dredge up enough courage to speak one question. "Wh-what do you want with me?"

Confusion returned to the red-head's features, a furrow forming on his brow. "We don't want anythin' from ya, buddy."

"Y-you don't?"

"Nope," the red-head smiled again, the expression one Allen thought was meant to be one of reassurance. "We want to help, that's all. Kanda here," he nodded towards the surly dark haired, confirming Allen's previous assumption, "is the one who found you. He brought you back here and we patched you up. " He paused briefly before adding. "The name's Lavi by the way. What's yours?"

Despite the fear that came with the presence of the two, Allen found himself calming, if only slightly as Lavi talked, finding the friendly, conversational tone in his voice, extremely out of place if the other really did intend to harm him.

"It-it's... Allen..." He replied, eyes darting to Kanda for a moment, then back to Lavi once more.

"Well it's nice to meet you Allen." Lavi stated, his grin returning and Allen shuddered at the sight of those fangs before the other seemed to realize. His grin quickly dropped, becoming an apologetic smile as the other rubbed at the back of his neck and gave an unsteady laugh. "Sorry buddy... anyway, how're ya feeling?"

The second part was spoken more seriously than anything else the ginger had said thus far, and Allen was just slightly taken aback by the change. "Not... so great." He admitted, the lightheadedness from before returning more insistently than before, along with the nausea and Allen felt as though he might pass out right then and there if he didn't fight to keep hold on consciousness.

Lavi nodded, almost thoughtfully, before moving a little closer to the other, only to pause after a single step. "Sorry Al-may I...?" he indicated the spot beside Allen on the bed. Allen hesitated, only nodding when Kanda stood up and moved away from him.

His eyes darted back and forth between the pair; Lavi seated beside him examining his throat, and Kanda leaning against the wall off to the side. He didn't relax, even as his breathing started to become a touch more challenging and his head began to swim. His head began to loll, and Lavi said something that Allen didn't quite catch as his vision began to darken at the edges.

He felt himself being moved, being placed to lie back down, with his throat exposed.

The last thing he was aware of, was the press of something damp and cool against the fevered skin of his throat, and them consciousness slipped away once more.

**S2 S2 S2 S2 S2**

Kanda watched Lavi dab at the bleeding wound, cleaning it a second time before moving on to do the same to the cuts on his chest, before his gaze drifted back to the messy mop of white hair that rested atop the boy's head, taking the place of the brown.

It was a strange shift, and one that the raven found he was more than a little surprised by. Of course, shifts in a mortal's appearance weren't uncommon after they had consumed a vampire's blood, but this seemed a bit drastic.

"Should the effect of my blood be that visible?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as the ginger re-wrapped the smaller male's throat.

Lavi looked up at Kanda, before shifting his gaze back to the boy's newly colored hair. He let a shrug roll off his shoulders, arms coming up to rest behind his head once more as he eyes the smaller male. "I wouldn't have thought so before, but I guess it's at least possible. You're only a second gen though, so your blood's a lot more potent than most made vampires. That's probably why it had this effect."

Kanda gave a nod, remaining silent for a few moments as Lavi went to lean back against the wall, before speaking once more. "You should go and get some rest now."

"Nah, it's fine." Lavi replied, flashing him a grin. "I've got a lot more energy than you do, Yuu."

Kanda rolled dark eyes, giving an annoyed click of his tongue before speaking once more. "I didn't ask if you had energy, idiot, I was saying you should rest-which energy or not you should, nimrod."

"Aww, worried about me. Kanda?" The other teased, his voice taking on a singsong tone, that had Kanda's brow twitching.

"You wish. Now just go get some rest, idiot. You know where my room is, just don't make a mess."

Lavi gave a soft laugh before moving towards the door. "Alright, alright. Thanks Yuu. See ya later. I don't think our little friend'll be waking up for a while now, but if he does, try not to scare him as much, 'Kay? Or better yet, just come get me if he does."

Kanda gave a scoff to let the other know he'd heard him.

Lavi gave another soft laugh, before exciting the room, leaving Kanda alone with the unconscious whitette and his own thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it~ I'm not quite sure when the next update will be, but honestly, I think I'm gonna try and make it a point to update at least once a month if I can manage from now on.
> 
> I feel really bad about always making people wait so long for updates, especially thinking about how often I used to update and post new things so I think I want to at least try to get back to updating regularly-and hopefully with the Anime and Manga back in the works, my motivation will be up there like it used to be.
> 
> Anyway though, it's almost 3:30 in the morning for me, so now it's off to bed~
> 
> Thank you very much for reading. It really means a lot to me, and if you can spare the time to leave a comment it'd make me a very happy girl ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! It didn't take me a year to update this time! I'm proud of myself. Are you guys proud of me? ^_^
> 
> Anyway, this chapter would have actually been up sooner, but it wound up a bit longer than I expected... as in about six thousand words, longer than I expected. Haha... hah... Yeah I still have no idea how that happened. And then I wound up heavily editing it twice as well, so yeah that took a while too. But! Here it is; the longest chapter yet!

The next few days passed in a strange sort of strained calm. Allen spent much of the time sleeping despite the nightmares that had taken to plaguing him each time he closed his eyes.

Each time he woke from his restless slumber, the pain from his injuries along with the feelings of vertigo and nausea seemed to lessen a great deal more, leading him to wonder just how long he had slept each time; if it had been days that passed rather than mere hours. When he was awake, he found he was rarely alone.

It seemed like each time he opened his eyes, one or both of the other men were there, and each time he couldn't help but feel uneasy, though the reactions he gave weren't quite as drastic as the first – despite the fact that a couple were close. It only took a short while for the disquiet to settle and for him to accept that, for the time being at least, it seemed as though they weren't going to harm him.

After a short while, Lavi almost seemed to have taken it upon himself to be Allen's caretaker; feeding him and looking after his wounds with an almost expert ease that made Allen wonder if the other had experience with such things, though he didn't voice the thoughts.

All in all, Allen decided soon enough that Lavi seemed... friendly. Extraordinarily so. There was something about him that seemed to make it difficult not to relax in his presence, despite the distinct feeling of discomfort that twisted his stomach each time something reminded him of what he and Kanda were. He still wasn't ready to say the word aloud. He felt as though, if he did, there would truly be no going back to how things were before that night.

On the other hand, Kanda wasn't anywhere near as friendly, and his being there wasn't as welcome to the youth either. His presence alone was unsettling, setting Allen's nerves on edge whenever he was in the same room, and Allen found it impossible to pretend the other wasn't there, even when he tried. He was always hyper aware, even when he tried to simply go back to sleep, that Kanda was there and it was something he found far from pleasant.

The icy demeanor the other always seemed to bear was something that didn't help in the slightest. His feelings towards Kanda were more uneasy than he would have liked, and Lavi's insistence that the dark-haired male wasn't as bad as he seemed wasn't quite as reassuring as he might have hoped. As time passed, Kanda spent less and less time around him when he was awake, much to Allen's relief.

Allen rarely left the room that he'd first woken in. When he did, it was usually only to go to the bathroom across the hall or wash up. Lavi usually brought food to the room for him, so he had little other reason to leave. Those trips to the bathroom seemed to be the only time Allen was alone, not even his own reflection there to keep him company thanks to the towel covering the bathroom's mirror.

It had seemed strange to him at first, but after lifting the towel that covered it the first time, he understood why they had covered it before he entered in the first place. He wasn't sure which had been the bigger shock; the grizzly red marks marring the left side of his face or the downy white that now took place of his reddish-brown locks.

Even if the extent of his wounds was still a shock, the markings on his face he had at least somewhat expected. The bandages that had covered his eye, the pain, and the memory of the demon carving into his flesh made it impossible for him to think for even a moment that his face was unmarred. His hair however…

That had been one shock he hadn't foreseen. The explanation he received from Lavi when he asked what happened had made him feel ill, almost causing him to lose what had remained in his stomach from his previous meal.

He hadn't had much desire to lift the towel since then.

That had been a couple days ago and if Lavi was to be believed - which Allen trusted he was - it had been five days since Kanda had found him bleeding out in that alley. His wounds had healed a great deal since then; more so than what he knew should have been possible. No doubt it was thanks in large part to the 'remedy' Kanda and Lavi had seen fit to give him, and though he was grateful to them for saving him, he still shuddered at the thought of how.

The wounds still needed to remain bandaged, still at risk of reopening if he wasn't careful, but there wasn't as much pain anymore so long as he didn't put too much pressure on them. He had little doubt that the strange-smelling salve Lavi applied whenever he changed the bandages was to thank for quite a bit of that. He found he wasn't quite so tired anymore, either, and he no longer felt nauseous or dizzy every time he so much as moved.

And even if he had still been exhausted, the thought of sleep had, by now, lost whatever appeal it had previously held.

Instead he found his mind wandering elsewhere whenever he so much as considered it; to his home and the father who was no doubt beginning to worry about him by now. Also, as much as he wished not to think of it; the question of whether or not he would be allowed to return to him after all that had happened.

Lavi and Kanda's kind were meant to be a myth and there had to be ways they stayed that way. Allen feared he knew just what those ways might be, in many circumstances. He had turned the thoughts over in his head multiple times by now, and it hadn't taken him long to realize what fate most likely awaited those that found out about the creatures that hid within the shadows.

That was a fate Allen had been positive awaited him at first, but as time passed and they not only left him to heal, but fed him and even tended to his injuries with such kindness and care, he had started to doubt that that was the case here. After all; would they truly do all of that if they just intended to kill him after?

It seemed unlikely to say the least, but the memory of the first one he'd met and the games he'd played were still too fresh in his mind, leaving a miniscule part of him unable to completely dismiss the thought. It gave birth to questions he would have preferred to never cross his mind; like even if they let him live, what if they still didn't let him go? What would become of him then? Would he simply be their prisoner until at last his life did come to its end – however short or long it might be?

Guilt twisted his stomach at the thought, the suspicion he knew he had no true reason for harboring aside from a bad run in with someone Kanda and Lavi simply shared their species with. That wasn't like him, he knew.

Allen had always tried to see the best in even the worst of people and he was sure not all of their kind could be as terrible as the one he'd met that night. That was something he had told himself multiple times by now, and he did believe that Kanda and Lavi were among those who weren't. Still, he found it unlikely that going home would be a simple task with what he knew now.

Such thoughts were enough to make him reluctant to broach the subject of leaving. Yet, he knew he couldn't just stay there either; patiently waiting for them to tell him what was to happen from there.

The more time passed, the more he knew Mana would be worrying, and making his foster father worry was one thing Allen truly despised doing, regardless of the circumstances.

It was well into the night; the sun having set hours ago, and for once Allen had found himself alone in the room for a majority of the night. Lavi had gone off somewhere a couple hours prior, though Allen had no clue where exactly, and Kanda had left him be ever since. Occasionally he would hear something if he paid attention, that would give him some clue what the other was up to - something he paid heed to for no other reason than curiosity. But that was rare, Allen's mind far too caught up in its own musings for him to actually pay attention. From the sound of it now though, he guessed he was likely in the shower.

That was something he had only vaguely noticed when it began some time ago, but as he took a moment's reprieve from the worrisome thoughts and it actually took hold of his notice he found a new thought forming.

Lavi wasn't there and Kanda was preoccupied… Maybe now could be his chance to go home.

If he were being honest, the thought of just leaving didn't quite sit well with him, not after all they had done. Though Kanda hadn't been what anyone could consider friendly or welcoming, he had saved Allen and brought him into his home while he recovered. Then there was Lavi, who had gone through so much trouble looking after him; tending to his injuries however he was able and even making sure Allen was fed. Yet, the thought of staying here any longer while Mana fretted over his well-being was enough to make his nerves sing with a mix of anxiousness and guilt that served to help him make up his mind.

He wasted little time once his mind was made, listening carefully to make sure the water was still running as he grabbed his shoes and socks from beside the door. He had little clue how long the water had been running, so as far as he knew it could shut off at any moment. He tried to be as quiet as he could, moving carefully as he crept from the room, his bare feet moving almost silently across the carpet. He made his way towards the living room, pausing at the end of the hall to make sure Lavi had yet to return. The room was empty, save for the furniture and Allen opted to continue on, only to pause once more as the desk near the corner caught his eye.

Guilt once again churned to life as he thought of leaving without a word, and after a moment of listening and considering, he moved towards the desk rather than the door.

The surface had next to nothing on it; a few quills, pens, ink, and some torn shreds of a thick parchment that looked as though they'd once been pieces of a letter. It wasn't until he opened a drawer, wincing at the sound it made, that he found the other thing he sought.

Pulling out a piece of paper, he carefully closed the drawer and grabbed a pen. Testing it on his hand to make sure it would write, he pressed it to the thin sheet and began writing;

 _Lavi & Kanda_  
Thank you both for all you've done. I wouldn't  
be alive right now if it weren't for the two of  
you, and I am eternally grateful. But I've caused  
you enough trouble by now, and my family must  
be worried sick by now, so I think it's time I go home.

_Thank you again.  
_ _-Allen Walker_

Pausing briefly, he considered a moment before adding;

_P.S; I promise your secret is safe with me._

That done, he carefully folded the small letter in half, resting it atop the desk so that it stood on its own. He felt a faint smile come to his lips as he picked his things back up. It may not have been ideal, but at the very least he found he did feel better about leaving than he had before. Quickly now, he turned to the front door and moved towards it with a determined stride.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

Allen jumped a bit, his hand retreating from the door's lock as he glanced back at the owner of that familiar voice.

"K-Kanda," He said, turning towards the other as he tried to push down the feelings of nervousness that began to make themselves known. He kept his eyes locked on the other, watching for some form of reaction.

The other's hair was loose, just as it had been the first time he recalled seeing him, but this time the dark tresses were heavy with water, the last few inches forming small waves, while a towel draped over one hand was being used to dry them. A few drops of water dripped down his face and bare torso, the one's on the latter disappearing as soon as they came into contact with the loose fitting pants that hung on his hips.

He paid close attention to the dark haired's expression, finding his nerves fading, just slightly, when he realized that it wasn't much different from usual. His face was still a mask caught somewhere between boredom and agitation, his sharp eye seeming to hold nothing more than a trace of curiosity.

"I..." For a moment, Allen considered lying, several lies even passing through his mind. Before he could decide on any, he saw Kanda's eyes shift to the side, and, following his gaze, Allen's own landed on the letter he'd written mere moment's before. Kanda's gaze returned to him in silent inquiry to which Allen finally answered. "I was gonna go home."

A raised brow was the only shift in Kanda's expression, his hand pausing in its actions. "Home?"

Allen couldn't help but tense ever so slightly, but just the same, he gave a decisive nod in answer.

"Bout fucking time."

Of all the possible responses that had crossed Allen's mind, he was certain that that blatant reply wasn't anywhere among them.

He watched Kanda return to drying his hair, draping the towel around his shoulders when he seemed satisfied, before moving towards the living room. Stardust silver eyes followed him, a slight furrow forming on Allen's brow.

"Excuse me?" He said, feeling the need to verify despite the fact that he was fairly positive he'd heard correctly.

Kanda's gaze leveled on him once more, a look of mild agitation showing in his eyes. "I know your hearing's not _that_  bad, Kid."

A frown threatened to tug at Allen's features at the response, but Allen fought it back. He had scarcely spoken to Kanda since waking, but he had already figured out that Kanda may not have been the most polite individual if the behavior Allen had observed was any indication. However, that didn't seem to stop him from finding the response off putting.

"I just wanted to make sure I heard you right," Allen stated in response.

"If you heard me say 'bout fucking time' then yeah, you did," Kanda replied bluntly, a note of agitation similar to the look in his eyes lacing his voice. His gaze drifted away from Allen, moving to lock dead ahead. "Like I want to keep you around and longer than I have to. As soon as the damn usagi gets back you're free to go wherever the fuck you want."

Despite the confirmation that brought a wave of relief, Allen couldn't help but take a bit of offense to the ill-mannered response that accompanied it. Kanda hardly seemed the social type from what he'd seen and what Lavi had told him, but he couldn't recall having done anything that may have irritated the other to that much of degree. Then again, he supposed perhaps just having a room in his house taken up by someone he didn't even know may very well have been cause for Kanda's dislike of the situation.

"When do you think he'll be back?" Allen inquired, opting to try and ignore the rude response and the feeling of mild agitation that began to stir to life.

Kanda's eyes followed him as he finally moved away from the door, and towards a chair that rested near the sliding glass door that lead out to the balcony. Even if he might have to wait a while more for the red-head, that was something he found he didn't mind as much as he may have expected. He owed Lavi a thank you, after all, and he found he definitely preferred the thought of delivering it in person rather than through a mere letter.

A shrug rolled off of Kanda's shoulders. "Depends on how long it takes him to hunt."

"Hunt?" Allen questioned before he could really stop himself, only for his eyes to go wide as realization sank in. In an instant he jolted to his feet, eyes locked firmly on Kanda, whose only response was to raise a brow in a silent inquiry. "Y-you mean he's… He's not going to kill someone, is he?"

"What the…?" A look of incredulity crossed his features, the expression soon shifting to one of evident annoyance. "Hell no, idiot. We don't all kill when we feed, dumbass." He paused a moment, seeming to consider something before he added, "It's against our laws to kill humans when we feed."

A wave of relief washed over Allen, drawing a relieved sigh from his lips, only for a thought to occur to him, causing a furrow to form on his brow. "Then... what about the one who attacked me?"

"Whoever it was broke the law by leaving you for dead," Kanda stated, leaning back in his seat and letting his arms come up to cross over his chest. "Lavi's already planning on telling the head generals about it when he goes back. Then whoever attacked you will be hunted down and punished accordingly."

"Punished...?"

"The Order doesn't show mercy on anyone who breaks the law. And trust me; they'll find whoever it was. There aren't many who can escape the order's notice once they get it."

A curious expression crossed Allen's features, silently prompting the other to elaborate. For a moment, Allen had almost thought he saw the other's eyes flash with disdain, and he could have sworn he heard a note of bitterness in the other's tone.

He waited patiently for the other to elaborate, and when he didn't Allen was tempted to push the subject. He soon decided against it. If the other's tone were anything to go by, it seemed that that may not be something Kanda was all that eager to discus. Pushing a subject Kanda might not wish to discus didn't seem like the best idea, especially since the other didn't seem to be in a very good mood as was. Granted, this seemed to be Kanda's default mood, from what he'd seen thus far.

When Kanda didn't say another word, Allen considered going back to the room he'd been staying in and waiting there until Lavi returned, though the thought was dismissed soon enough.

Lavi couldn't be that much longer. Right?

After a few moments hesitation, he sat back down, setting his shoes down on the floor beside his newly claimed seat.

Neither said a word after that, and it wasn't long before Allen found the silence growing somewhat uncomfortable. He was tempted to try and strike up another conversation with the other, but several failed attempts at trying to think of something to talk about soon snuffed out that idea.

Instead, he once again turned his mind on his father and how things might go when he finally saw him again.

He wondered what Mana would say when he got home and what on earth he would tell his guardian about why he'd disappeared without so much as a phone call to let him know he was safe. He knew he couldn't very well tell Mana the truth. Even if Kanda and Lavi might allow it, he knew there was little hope of that going over 'well'. If he started talking about the existence of vampires and being attacked by one, he had a feeling he may as well just ask to be locked up.

Besides, it was more than just a little likely that telling about them would violate the 'laws' Kanda had mentioned. He still felt that it was unlikely that whomever made those laws would want anyone to be telling that they exist. He had a feeling that he didn't want to be on the wrong side of whoever that might be.

The sound of the sliding door being thrust open to its limit made Allen jump, yanking him almost violently from his thoughts as pale eyes snapped up to rest on the returning red-head.

"Oh, hey, Al!" Said ginger greeted cheerfully, closing the door behind him with a bit more force than necessary. He gave a small snicker at the annoyed exclamation that escaped Kanda's lips, though his gaze didn't leave Allen's form. "Shouldn't ya be resting?"

Masking his own mild amusement at the dark haired's reaction with a soft clearing of his throat, Allen shook his head a couple times before smiling up at the ginger. "I think I've rested enough. I'm feeling much better now."

"Really?" Lavi's expression brightened visibly, that emerald hued eye flickering over Allen's form as though searching for any sign that might contradict the smaller male's statement. "You sure?"

"He's sure," Kanda interjected before Allen's lips even had a chance to part with his answer, easily drawing Lavi's attention. "He's ready to go home."

Allen frowned just slightly, unable to say he was a fan of being cut off in such a manner. Though, Kanda had already made it clear that he couldn't be rid of Allen soon enough, so he supposed it shouldn't have been surprising for Kanda to want to cut to the chase. Lavi's gaze flickered back to him, curiosity laced with an edge of caution evident in his eye. "That true?"

Letting his smile return, though not quite as wide as before, Allen gave a single small nod.

"That's great, buddy!" The sudden volume of Lavi's enthusiastic exclamation almost made Allen jump as a grin spread across the red-head's features. Allen hadn't expected the sudden exuberance, though judging by Kanda's lack of reaction, Kanda didn't seem especially surprised by it. His only reaction was a roll of his eyes.

Lavi seemed extremely pleased – even more so than Allen would have imagined. "Man, I thought it'd be at least a couple more days before ya felt up to goin' anywhere. Yuu's blood must have helped even more than I thought it would."

Allen tried to suppress grimace, smile fading as his stomach churned uneasily at that reminder. He had never considered himself squeamish by any means, but that thought was still quite unsettling, and he didn't forsee that fading anytime in the near future. "Can you... please not mention that?" He pleaded, one hand coming up to rub lightly at the back of his neck.

"Sorry, sorry." Despite the words, Lavi didn't sound the least bit apologetic, his voice holding a carefree tone that it seemed he rarely lacked. "Forgot ya'd rather not think of that." His arms came up to cross behind his chest, one side of his mouth remaining quirked up in a crooked smile as an almost melancholy look entered his gaze. "Anyway, if you're sure you're well enough, I guess you'd like to get home as soon as possible, huh?"

"Yeah," Allen answered with a nod, grateful for the change of subject. "My father must be worried sick by now.

A look of realization painted the ginger's features, a slight wince contorting them a moment later. "Youch, yeah I'll bet. Bet he's probably gonna have it in for ya when ya get back." He gave another chuckle, before allowing his eye to shift to Kanda, still seated on the couch, and Allen's silver hued gaze soon followed. He didn't seem to be paying much attention to either of them, from what Allen could tell. "Hey Yuu, got a shirt Allen can borrow?"

Allen didn't miss the slight twitch Kanda gave at the name, dark eyes shifting to glare icily at the red-head beside the white haired as he pushed himself to his feet. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

Lavi grinned, not seeming the least bit perturbed by the growl-like undertone Kanda's tone held. Allen couldn't help but wonder if Lavi was truly as unaffected by that cold gaze as he seemed, and if so, how long it had taken for that immunity to build.

"However many times ya want. Odds are I'm not gonna stop."

Mattering something that didn't sound particularly polite under his breath, Kanda moved towards the hall before disappearing around the corner. Allen stared after him, gaze only averting when the dark haired reappeared just a few sparse moments later. Without a warning he threw an article of white cloth at Allen, causing Lavi to give a loud laugh while the white-haired let out a startled yelp as it all but smacked him in the face.

"Just put the damn thing on." Kanda said, sounding as irritated as ever as he moved towards the front door, grabbing his coat from a nearby hook.

Allen frowned as he grasped the shirt, resisting the urge to level a glare on the other - though he doubted Kanda would notice. "Thanks," He mumbled after a moment. Kanda only grunted in acknowledgment.

Was Kanda always like this...? Or did he really dislike Allen that much? Allen couldn't help but wonder as he straightened out the white shirt he'd been so 'politely' handed. Pulling it on, he struggled to suppress a wince as the movement prompted a wave of slight pain to go through his chest, the cloth scraping against the still healing wounds on his face doing the same.

"Where are we going, Moyashi?" Kanda inquired as he pulled on his coat. He removed the still damp and slightly curled strands from his collar, gathering them in one hand before tying the long strands into a tight ponytail, only a few of the long tresses remaining free to frame his face.

Allen paused, his hand stilling where it hung as he reached for his shoes, eyes turning back on the other. "We?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

Allen's features contorted into a curious frown, "You're coming too...?"

"We both are," Lavi answered in Kanda's place, leaning one arm on the back of the chair Allen had claimed. "Ya don't mind, right?"

"Uh…" Allen hadn't expected either of them to come too, though he couldn't say he was opposed to the idea as much as he might have expected, "I guess not."

"Good. Then answer the question, Brat."

Suppressing a sigh, and resisting the urge to say something to oppose that nickname, Allen did just that as he pulled on his shoes, before getting to his feet.

Lavi gave a nod, pushing away from the chair and turning towards the door he had entered from, just a few minutes prior. "Alright then, let's get goin!"

The ginger opened the sliding glass door, and Allen's brow furrowed as the ginger stepped out onto the balcony.

"Shouldn't we be going out that door?" He inquired, nodding towards the front.

"Nope!" That familiar grin was plastered across Lavi's face as he glanced back at the other. "The way we'll be travelin' this exit's better."

"What do you..." Allen started, but was easily cut off as Lavi returned to grab his forearm and began pulling him towards the balcony, leaving no more room for Allen to protest. He released him as soon as Allen's feet left plush carpet in favor of solid wood, and Kanda followed at a leisurely pace. Giving Allen a light push when he reached the doorway, he stepped out as well, closing the door behind him.

"You'll see," Lavi chirped as he moved to stand on the balcony's railing. His eyes darted about as though looking for something. He gave a decisive nod when he seemed satisfied, glancing back at the other two over his shoulder. "Kanda, why don't you do the honors of carrying our little friend here?"

"Like hell I- Don't you-! Oi!" Before Kanda could finish his protest, Lavi gave a salute and knelt down, before launching himself off. He barely noticed how Kanda jerked forward, his hand closing on empty air where Lavi's hood had been mere milliseconds ago.

Allen's eyes widened as he watched the red-head all but sore across the space between the balcony and the building across the way, landing effortlessly on its rooftop before glancing back at the two of them.

Grumbling and swearing beneath his breath, Kanda knelt down a bit in front of Allen. For a few moments all he did was stare, uncertain. Surely he didn't mean for Allen to...?

"Hurry it up!" He snapped, and when Allen still hesitated to comply, Kanda reached back to yank one of Allen's wrists, causing him to stumble forward with a startled sound. He managed to catch himself with a hand on the other's shoulder, the one still in the dark haired's grasp being pulled over the opposite shoulder. Kanda glanced back at him, a faint trace of agitation clear in his expectant gaze. At last, Allen complied.

His arms hesitantly wrapped around the other's neck, his chest pressing against the dark haired's back. Hands hooked around his thighs, hoisting him up Kanda straightened out of his half crouch, Allen's grip instinctively tightening as Kanda stood on the railing.

"You get sick and I swear I'll drop you."

He gave no further warning, offered Allen no chance to prepare before he launched himself after Lavi. Even if he had been warned, Allen had little hope that he could have stifled the startled gasp that left him or kept his grip from tightening to an almost suffocating degree.

Kanda didn't even seem to notice. It seemed as though the instant they landed they were already off, Lavi setting an extraordinary pace that Kanda seemed to keep up with with ease.

The wind rushed around them, the cold night air piercing Allen's skin and stinging at his eyes until like tiny needles, though Allen found he didn't find it all that unpleasant. Instead he felt a rush, adrenaline coursing through his veins, and drawing a smile to his lips as the world all but blurred around them.

Several minutes passed like that, the only sound reaching Allen the rushing wind as Kanda and Lavi moved across rooftops with an ease Allen knew would never have been possible for any human being. He tried to keep his eyes open as much as he could, but eventually the piercing wind drew water to their edges, increasing the sting and forcing them closed. Even if it hadn't been for that, Allen knew it probably wouldn't have been long before the faint churning in his gut grew, causing him to do just that. Even if motion sickness was another thing he had scarcely felt before, he supposed if anything might make him feel such a thing, it would be this.

"Kanda."

Lavi's voice was strangely calm, the exuberance he'd seemed to hold before completely absent along with the distinct note of cheer Allen had come to associate with the ginger. The tone easily broke through the sound of the wind, despite its quietness, the weight that the simple name seemed to hold more than enough to draw Allen's attention. When Allen glanced at him he found the look on his face was oddly serious, the corners of his mouth turned down in the beginnings of a frown.

"Yeah." Kanda responded, his own tone clipped and cold, no trace of emotion detectible to Allen's ears. Quite suddenly, he came to a halt atop one of the buildings. "I see it."

Allen glanced between the two, his own features contorting into a confused frown at the sudden heaviness that seemed to hang in the air between them. He glanced around swiftly, feeling a small spark of relief when he realized that he recognized a few of the buildings surrounding them. They were almost to his place, but… Why had they stopped ?

"You don't think that's..."

Allen heard Kanda draw in a deep breath before letting it out in a prolonged exhale. "Only one way to find out."Allen's brow furrowed, only for a startled sound to tear from his throat as Kanda released the hold on his legs. Had Allen's hold on his shoulders not been so tight he had little doubt that he would have landed flat on his rear. When his feet were securely on the roof, he released his hold Kanda, leveling a slight glare on the other male. However, the expression was quick to fade, the exceptionally cold look on his face, as well as the oddly serious expression Lavi wore making his stomach tighten with the beginnings of unease.

"What is it?" He asked, frowning as he watched Kanda move towards the opposite edge of the rooftop, Lavi close behind. Allen was quick to follow as well, his brow furrowing when neither of them offered an answer "Lavi? Kanda? What's wrong?"

"Just... wait here, Allen." Lavi didn't even look at him when he spoke, the lack of shift in his tone or expression only making his anxiousness grow. The urge to argue reared its head, the desire to know what had put them both so on edge so suddenly alongside the uneasiness their reactions had brought to life making it all but impossible for him to so much as entertain the idea of simply standing by and waiting.

But before he could question, Kanda's voice sounded with a simple 'let's go', and with that they were both gone, dropping from the rooftop then taking off at an impossible speed that Allen's eyes couldn't even hope to follow as soon as their feet hit the pave below.

Brow furrowing once again, Allen stared at the spot where the pair had disappeared. He squinted, turning his gaze in the direction that they had been looking, hoping for some clue to what was going on. He saw nothing unusual, everything that was actually close enough for him to make out seeming just as he would imagine it to from such a height. So why were they both so on edge?

They must have seen something wrong, that much he could quite easily gather from their behavior along with the fact that, whatever it was, it couldn't be good. His disquiet only roared louder as he considered what lie in that direction. His stomach gave a disgruntled churn, suspicion and dread winding through his mind as he tried not to let it jump to the worst case scenario.

They couldn't have seen anything wrong near his home. Though a quick glance around had indeed determined that they were near, this area exceptionally familiar to the white haired youth, his home was still some blocks away-surely too far for them to have seen anything that could set the pair off in such a way. Yet, even as he tried to convince himself of that, the feeling of uneasiness that made itself known at so much as the possibility was difficult to dismiss.

Several seconds passed as Allen turned the thoughts over in his head, anxiety slowly growing until it finally became too strong to ignore. His eyes quickly darted about until they came to rest on the rusted ladder connected to one side of the building. It was a short debate – hardly even able to be considered such a thing - before he was moving towards it and climbing over the roof's raised edge.

Whatever had made those two so apprehensive couldn't have been good, that much Allen was certain of. And the thought that it could have been anywhere near his home was one that Allen couldn't just ignore, even if he had wished to. If there was even a remote chance that something was the matter, he needed to be there for his father, regardless of what the issue might be. He'd be damned if he would just stand by if his father was in any sort of trouble.

He set a quick pace to get down, almost reckless in his haste. As he turned to his new surroundings, he tried to suppress the shiver that threatened to race down his spine as an unpleasant sense of deja'vu washed over him. The alleyway was dark, brick walls rising on either side almost seeming to devour any light that may have dared to enter from either end, leaving a majority of the narrow space bathed in perpetual shadow.

Memories danced at his mind's edge in frightful flashes of image and sound; a shadowed figure closing in, the velveteen voice that sounded as he was cornered in that dead end, the world twisting around him as he was suddenly thrown to the ground...

He fought them back, pushing them all behind a stone wall of his own. The last thing he needed, he knew, was to recall that traumatic night from less than a week ago. He didn't dwell there long enough for the memories to resurface, instead moving quickly towards the alley's mouth where light actually touched.

His eyes skittered about, taking in his surroundings; the buildings with their windows mostly dark, the street lamps and stars the only things that illuminated the otherwise darkened street. But even their glow wasn't enough to completely envelop it, leaving small patches of shadow in the spaces between.

It was such an eerie scene; one that now filled Allen with a feeling of uneasiness that he found all but impossible to shake. As he began walking, he couldn't help but glance back over his shoulder ever few moments, half expecting to see that dreaded figure trailing him from just beyond one circle of light or another.

Soon enough, he broke into a jog and eventually a full on run despite the slight pain it caused in his chest. The desire to get home was rapidly becoming that much stronger as fear mingled with apprehension, brought on by the memories still so clear within his mind's eye, making him feel like prey all over again.

He ran faster past alleyways,only slowing when he came to an intersection to make certain the road was clear, before returning to his previous pace. Even when breathing began to grow more difficult, he didn't slow.

The closer he got, the more confused his he found emotions became. One street left with no sign of trouble and eagerness began to join the mix, knowledge that he was almost home making him run that much faster, almost overshadowing the misgivings he'd had before.

If there was anything wrong he'd sure he'd of seen some sign by now; a crowd out of place, too many lights, or maybe even the lights or sirens from police or something of the like. But the night was still, almost startlingly so, and, while eerie, he believed that was a good thing.

It wouldn't be long now before he was home.

He was almost there, almost back to Mana and the home they shared; both things he had dreaded that he might never see again just a couple hours ago – if that.

"Allen!"

The familiar voice's cry sent a spear of shock through his system as Lavi suddenly appeared in front of him, as if from thin air. Allen stumbled, trying to stop himself before he could crash into the redhead and take them both to the ground, coming uncomfortably close to doing just that in the process.

"Didn't we tell you to wait back there?" Lavi questioned, the smile he wore seeming almost forced as he reached out steadying hands to make sure Allen didn't fall.

"I... I didn't... want to keep Mana... waiting..." Allen lied, needing to take a few shallow breaths between words, each one sending an icy burn down his throat and into his lungs. Offering the other an apologetic smile, he hunched over, one hand resting on his knee while the other came up to clutch lightly at the shirt over his wounds, his racing heart hammering away beneath his hand. The pain he had previously been able to ignore was suddenly to prominent for that, and he wondered if he had worsened the injuries with the exertion of his run. He hoped not.

"Right..." Lavi said, glancing back over his shoulder for a couple moments before turning his attention back on Allen as a hand came up to rub lightly at the back of his neck. "About that, Al... I think we should go back to Yuu's."

"Wh-why?" Allen inquired, a furrow forming on his brow. Swallowing hard, he straightened up, shoulders still heaving ever so slightly as he looked steadily at the ginger. "We're already here... and Mana... He's probably-"

"Just..." Lavi cut him off, a hint of what almost sounded like nervousness in his tone. Upon a closer look, Allen couldn't help but think he was looking quite tense, the light that was usually present in that emerald hued eye oddly dull compared to what he was used to seeing. "Take my word for it, Al."

Wariness gave Allen pause, silver eyes staring intently at the other male for several long moments. Eyes darted to the corner beyond the ginger as anxiousness once again began to rear its head. He gave a slight shake of his head before straightening up and moving to step around the other. "S-sorry Lavi but... I need to see my da-"

"Wait." A strong hand closed around his upper arm, jerking him back with enough force to wrench his shoulder. A flash of pain crossed his shoulder, a wince contorting his features before wide silver hued eyes moved to the other with a spark of fear entering their depths.

"L-Lavi, what the-" He began, trying to yank his arm free of the red-head's grasp, only to wince once more when the other's grip only tightened. His gaze darted from the hand closed around a thin arm to the other's face, and his struggles faltered at what he saw.

Lavi's expression was different now; appearing unnaturally stern, but there was a look that resembled... pity? In his visible eye. When he spoke, there was the faintest trace of what almost sounded like desperation in his tone. "Allen, trust me." He tried to force a smile, but Allen found the expression lacking, not even a trace of the red-head's usual cheer present. "Let's just head back to Kanda's."

"No." The answer was instantaneous, Allen not even considering what the other was suggesting. Why was he even suggesting that in the first place? He'd seemed so glad that Allen was well enough to go back home... what had changed? Anxiety returned as he renewed his struggle, not even caring as they wrenched his shoulder, causing a burning ache to surge to life. His previous fears were slowly worming their way back to the forefront of his mind, and despite the desperation to push them back, Allen found them harder and harder to ignore the longer Lavi held tight to his arm with a borderline bruising grip. "Let go of me, Lavi!"

"Allen, please! You don't-"

"Just let him go."

The deep voice drew their attention, a single green hue and a pair of pale gray moving to rest on Kanda as he approached the pair. There was a note in his voice Allen couldn't quite name, something lying just beneath the surface of that usually icy voice. Whatever it was, it seemed almost out of place.

"But Yuu-" Lavi tried to protest, glancing between the two of them, his brow furrowing.

"No buts." Dark eyes came to rest on Allen's form, the dark hues even colder than Allen could remember having seen them before. But after only a couple of second his gaze drifted, moving from Allen to Lavi and his voice when next he spoke was stern. "He won't believe or accept it any other way."

There was a moment of silence in which Allen's mind raced, trying to make sense of what the other meant. What was Kanda talking about? What was there for him to believe? What was there for him to  _accept_?

Had something actually happened to...?

The anxiousness was far more than just that by now, dancing precariously on a precipice of panic that just made it that much more difficult for Allen to catch his breath.

Lavi hesitated, his expression growing conflicted. But, after a moment, he let a quiet sigh pass his lips, his grip loosening on Allen's arm until the younger was at last able to pull it free. He stumbled a bit as he did so, taking a couple steps backward while his gaze flickered between the two. Kanda was staring at him with a level gaze, his features an expressionless mask he couldn't even hope to read, while Lavi was looking of to the side, not meeting Allen's gaze.

Turning swiftly, he moved towards the corner, part of him expecting to once again be stopped by a powerful hold.

He wasn't, and for a few sparse seconds he wasn't sure whether he was glad for that or not.

Within seconds he rounded the corner he had come around countless times in the last few years.

And in an instant his blood chilled to ice within his veins.

The sight before him was so similar to the one he'd expected to greet him; the one that was like a comforting photograph engraved in his mind's eye, but something was so drastically different that Allen almost couldn't believe this was the right street - didn't _want_  to believe it.

A row of brick buildings Allen was achingly familiar with lined the sidewalk across the street; the little flower shop he would sometimes help out at, the reasonably sized building that housed a few small apartments. Both were almost exactly as the photograph deemed they should be, but between them... Between the two, where his and Mana's home came to rest, was drastically different than it was in his mind's eye.

Unbidden by his own will, his feet carried him closer, his throat growing tighter and tighter with each step as denial tried to sweep away growing panic. His heart beat faster than a hummingbird's wings, almost threatening to break free of his chest as his breaths came faster in and out of his lungs.

"What..." He whispered, his voice strained and choked as he finally came to a halt in the center of the road, the word being forced from a throat that felt suddenly too tight for even air to pass. "What... is... H..."

His and Mana's home was fairly small, just big enough for the two of them. The two story house had had two rooms taking up the second floor – their bedrooms – while the first was occupied largely by a sitting room, a small kitchen and bathroom taking up the remaining space.

What his eyes were seeing and his mind was struggling to make sense of was something drastically different from the place he had come to call home.

The second floor was all but destroyed; the only sign that it had ever existed a segment of wall and floor in the back corner - once a part of Allen's room; now no more than charred black stone and scorched wood. The rest of the second floor was gone, the brick and wood that had made it and the roof now seen clearly as piles of dust and debris through an empty space left by a shattered window; its own surroundings blacker than the night sky. Most of the walls on the first floor remained in tact, only a few segments pushed out or knocked down by the falling debris. But even much of what remained had not done so unscathed. Brick was blackened by scorching heat, the remaining glass of the opposite window disfigured and darkened while all that remained of the front door was a couple pieces of burnt wood, barely kept in place by its hinges.

As Allen's eyes began to fall he caught sight of something that seared denial even deeper into his core, even as the sight of it burned into his brain with an almost agonizing certainty. There in front of the charred opening was a single small mound of flowers, and resting among them, a top hat Allen recognized with excruciating ease, despite the top edge that had been singed, leaving a hole that almost seemed to match the one Allen could already feel forming in his heart.

 _'This.. this can't be real,'_ was what his mind first whispered, trying to find some sort of explanation that didn't include the contrary.

Maybe... Maybe it was just another nightmare. That was it.

It had to be.

There was no way this was real - there was just no way! He would wake up and... and his home would still be there-his _father_  would still be there.

He just had to wake up.

He just had to wake up and he'd be home; safe and sound in his own bed - in his own room. Then he'd go downstairs and find Mana making breakfast – just like always, and when he told Mana about this crazy dream he'd tell him that it was just that.

A dream.

Nothing but a sick dream.

But even as those thoughts swarmed within his skull, trying to overshadow everything he'd seen, he knew.

He knew the struggle for air and his pounding heart, the dull pain of his knees hitting the concrete, the acrid scent that hung in the air; the rapidly growing sting behind his eyes, and the burn of bile that rose in his throat until he finally gagged, lips parting to let it land on the pave before him...

He knew none of those were a part of his dream.

They were far too real to be part of a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that the longest chapter I've written for a multi-chapter fic is done. I still can't believe I wrote that much for this chapter, honestly but I'm honestly kind of happy about that. It does my confidence in my writing muse a lot of good, I think.
> 
> I'd love to know though; would you guys would like to see more long chapters like this in the future? Or would you like it better if I keep them on the shorter side? If you guys could let me know which is preferred, I'd greatly appreciate it.
> 
> I thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are my dearies; another month and another chapter~ ^_^
> 
> I don't really have much to say up here, but I have a little announcement of sorts at the bottom so; On with the chapter~!

The sun was just beginning to rise by the time the trio returned to Kanda's home, entering the same way they had left. None of them had said a word since leaving behind the ashen remains of Allen's home.

Kanda had once again found himself to be the one carrying the white haired youth, though this time he found it more difficult to complain. The kid was practically non-responsive in Kanda's arms—had been ever since the moment he'd collapsed before house's ruins. No matter how many times Lavi had called out too him, trying to coax a response, he had received nothing but silence without even the faintest indication that the boy had heard. Even when Kanda had tried to hoist the kid to his feet it had done no good, the boy seeming completely unaware of the near-bruising grip on his forearm. The younger male had simply dangled limply from the vampire's hold, unnaturally dull silver hues remaining locked, unseeingly, on the hard stone beneath his knees.

He was in shock, that much had, by now, become as clear as the predawn sky, and Kanda couldn't even say he blamed the kid. Less than an hour ago the kid had thought he was returning to his home and his father, and now...

Now, both were little more than memories and ash.

As they stepped inside, Lavi went ahead, heading towards the spare bedroom that had served as the boy's quarters. Kanda remained behind, standing just beyond the doorway that lead to the balcony. He glanced down at the boy he was carrying for the first time since taking to the rooftops. His frown only deepened as he noticed that those eyes were just as dull as they'd been when he hoisted him up in the first place. There was no light of awareness, no shimmer of life shining in the should-be bright irises. Instead they were blank, flat and lifeless like those of a corpse.

He didn't like it.

Tearing his gaze away from listless eyes, he followed after the red-head. He was standing off to the other side of the bed, hands clutching at the blanket, and eye locked on the pristine white sheets as though the thread count was suddenly the most interesting thing the pureblood had seen. His thoughts must have already been racing.

Kanda didn't bother to voice any form on inquiry as he moved forward, disrupting the ginger's line of sight as he set the mortal down atop the mattress.

Lavi blinked his eye once, seemingly pulling himself from his own thoughts and in an instant the other's features softened, sympathy shining clear in that green hue as he draped the blanket back over Allen's lithe frame.

Clicking his tongue, Kanda turned away, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. He didn't need to ask to know that Lavi would likely try once again to get some form of response from the mortal, and he had no interest in seeing that failure take place. Instead, he chose to return to the living room, finding that he wasn't ready to head to bed just yet.

Why Lavi was wasting his time, Kanda didn't know. He highly doubted the mortal would be recovering from the shock of the recent revelation so soon, and he was sure Lavi knew that as well. The human mind was such a weak thing so much of the time, especially when it came to those the heart had attached chose to attach itself to. And as annoying and pathetic as it may have been, Kanda could only seem to summon a faint sense of his usual agitation at the thought of the brat's wrecked state. Instead there was another emotion that reared its head, taking control and overshadowing Kanda's irritation despite his efforts to stuff it down.

Empathy.

The wretched emotion that Kanda would have much preferred stay sealed away, locked in some forgotten corner of his weathered heart, covered in cobwebs and dust. Instead it was now in the forefront, its existence impossible to ignore, despite how much the desired to do just that.

The sound of the spare room's door opening drew his attention, offering some small form of distraction for the time being as Kanda's gaze shifted to the hall, waiting for the approaching footsteps to actually reach the living room. Sure enough, Lavi entered after but a couple short seconds, one hand lifted to tousle the already messy orange locks.

He watched as the ginger moved towards the chair Allen had occupied earlier, collapsing gracelessly into the seat.

Kanda waited, watching the usagi and waiting for him to say something. Instead the pureblood remained slouched in the seat, green eye hidden beneath the closed lid. When several moments passed with no words passing the other's lips, he finally prompted. "Well?"

Lavi's only response was a shake of his head, the silent answer only confirming what Kanda had already suspected.

Silence fell between them, but unlike the solace Kanda typically found in the quiet, there was a heaviness in the air, a charged sort of weight that rang with the tension both were surly feeling. It was an atmosphere that made it clear something wasn't right, and Kanda found his nerves only growing more agitated.

"I should have compelled him to come back here." The pureblood mumbled after several minutes had passed, shattering the charged silence, and for once, Kanda found he was almost grateful for the noise.

"What good would that have done?" Kanda inquired, eyes turning back on the other. "He would have wanted to go home again sooner or later, and then what?"

"We wouldn't have kept it from him," Lavi defended, his green eye snapping open and locking on Kanda as he straightened up a bit in his seat. A frown contorted his features, brow furrowed as he met Kanda's gaze.

"Then what? You were just going to tell him when we got back?"

"That was the plan." Lavi's response was effortless, sounding all the world like he saw nothing wrong with that plan and Kanda supposed there wasn't. But there was one thing he knew to be true that made that seem like nothing more than a waste of time.

"He would have just wanted to see for himself anyway. He wouldn't have believed it until he did."

"Still..." Lavi sighed, a frown making its way to his features.

That expression was one Kanda had only seen a few times over the centuries, and each time he thought it seemed out of place. The annoying red-head's usual cheerful nature was something that didn't seem to equate to frowning in most situations. "Maybe a warning might have made it a little easier on him."

"'Might' being the key word," Kanda stated, unable to keep himself from scowling. There was no way to say for sure whether or not that would have been the case, but he highly doubted it. The boy still wouldn't have believed it until he saw the evidence with his own eyes. And then, Kanda had little doubt, they would have been in the exact same situation they found themselves in now. "Not like it matters, now. No point wondering if it would have been different or not. Now we need to figure out what to do with the little shit if sending him home's out of the picture."

Lavi's frown only seemed to deepen, brow furrowing as he stared at the noirette. Kanda raised a brow of his own when a few moments passed without the ginger saying a word.

"I know you're not the most social, Yuu, but you can at least be a little sympathetic," Lavi finally sighed at Kanda's silent prompting. Features relaxing, his arms came up to cross behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. His green eye didn't leave Kanda's form. "For all we know the poor kid just found out he's lost everything. I would have thought even you'd be able to summon a little bit of empathy for him."

Kanda's eyes hardened, the shift so subtle he doubted most would notice, but he could tell by the equally subtle glint that shone in that overly observant gaze that Lavi saw.

Of course he noticed.

He shouldn't have expected any less from a Bookman, he supposed-even if he was an idiot.

"If you're looking for empathy, go ask someone else," Kanda finally said after a couple moments of silence had passed. Pushing himself to his feet, he moved towards the hall, trying to force the agitated tension from his muscles. "I got rid of shit like that a long fucking time ago."

The lie fell effortlessly from his lips, leaving little room for denial even for someone like the Usagi. He didn't wait for Lavi to reply, nor did he spare the ginger another word or glance as he disappeared around the corner on his way to his own bedroom. He couldn't help but pause in front of the room where the brat rested, the sound of a hitching breath catching his ear clear as day, even through the closed door.

The hesitation lasted but a second before Kanda moved on with a click of his usually barbed tongue. The wretched emotion that had once again stirred to life was quickly crushed beneath his heel, not even living long enough to be named before they were wiped from his mind.

**S2 S2 S2 S2 S2**

The sleep the greeted Kanda was restless at best.

Images that hadn't plagued him in what felt like decades danced behind closed lids when consciousness otherwise faded. Roaring flames lighting up the night, the thick, heavy smoke clawing at his nose and throat as the billowing clouds blocked out the stars.

He had little tolerance for those memories turned dreams, eyes quickly opening mere moments after the sounds of screaming and laughter began to join the massive pyre's roar.

A dimly lit room greeted the dark gaze, but what little light made its way through the heavy curtains was enough for him to tell it wasn't nightfall yet. At most it was late afternoon, and that thought drew an agitated sound from his throat as he rolled over, leaving his back to face the offensive light source.

For a few minutes he considered going back to sleep, or, at the very least make an attempt. The thought was short-lived, the possibility of closing his eyes and once again being greeted by his past's inferno enough to obliterate any appeal that idea may have held. So, taking a deep breath, he reluctantly got up, deciding to get an early start.

Grabbing a towel and a change of clothes, he made his way for the bathroom, turning on the water to at let it warm. Stripping and stepping beneath the shower's warm spray, it didn't take him long to wash up. When he was done, rather than get out Kanda allowed dark eyes to drift closed, focusing solely on the feel of water streaming down his skin. It was rare that he wasted much time, but tonight the warm water was too inviting to leave so soon. Especially as the steady stream helped to ease taut muscles, the warmth slowly rinsing away at least a fraction of the tension from the nightmare and earlier that morning.

By the time he stepped out and dried off, he was considerably more relaxed than he had been before, though he suspected that wouldn't last. He opted not to dwell on that fact as he dressed and pulled a brush through the waves that had formed in typically straight locks, knowing that it would only serve to quicken that inevitability.

Exiting the bathroom, Kanda already had a plan forming in his mind for the evening, but his thoughts were soon diverted as he paused beyond the door. Instead of instantly heading for the living room as he'd intended, he found his gaze locked on the closed door, directly across the hall.

After a moment's consideration, he moved towards it. Resting his hand on the knob for a moment, he steeled himself, preparing for the increasingly alluring assault before pushing the door open.

Sure enough, as soon as he did the scent hit him, the alluring sweetness that all but sang to the vampire and ignited an ache in his jaw. Oh, how his fangs longed to extend and sink into the soft flesh, and his throat burned with a desire for the crimson elixir that flowed through the mortal's veins.

Not for the first time, Kanda found himself taking a deep, controlled breath as he struggled to reign in ageless instinct and fight back the temptation the boy's blood carried. He should have been used to this by now, should have been able to build some form of resistance to that unnaturally alluring scent with how much he found himself exposed to it. Faint traces of it could be detected throughout most of his home by now, making it difficult for him to escape it without leaving, and, while he could handle that easily enough, that was far from the case when he found himself exposed to the full force of the enticing aroma.

Each time that happened, it seemed to hit him like a devastating blow, almost threatening to break the shackles of control that usually held back primal instinct with unrivaled ease. The blows strength only seemed to grow, the scent's lure drawing Kanda to step over the threshold before he even realized what he was doing.

He instantly stilled once he did, his tongue clicking in annoyance as he settled a dark glare on the young man resting atop the mattress.

At some point during the day, it seemed he'd managed to fall asleep. His eyes were closed, his expression oddly peaceful, thanks no doubt, to the absence of the waking world's stress, and his chest steadily rose and fell with slow breathes. Even his heartbeat sounded better than it had earlier.

He looked nothing like the wreck Kanda had carried through the threshold a few hours ago. Now if only a fraction of that peace might carry over to the waking world.

Stepping back out of the room, Kanda spared the human a final glance before closing the door behind him, and turning down the hall.

Yet again he found himself wondering what it was about the boys blood that held such a strong call. There had been few things over the centuries that had tested Kanda's control to such a degree, and even then it had typically been when his temper's fuse had reached its end, and never had it been over something as simple as a scent.

Perhaps it had simply been longer than he thought since he'd last fed? He supposed that that could explain it to some extent, but even as he thought that, he knew that couldn't be it completely. Just the same though, he supposed it couldn't hurt to hunt, especially if there was even a small chance that it might make that tantalizing temptation even just a little bit more tolerable.

Exiting the hall and entering the living room, his eyes reflexively shifted to the couch. He expected to see the ginger still sleeping soundly on the surface he'd claimed as his bed the last few nights. He had long ago learned that Lavi wasn't an early riser. He would often stay up well after sunrise, and sleep until quite some time after the sun had set. It had once been a near constant source of agitation for the former mortal, and it was a habit that had shown no sign of change in the days that Lavi had been staying here.

However, much to Kanda's surprise, that wasn't the case now.

Rather than being sprawled over the couch, the Usagi was sitting up, his elbows resting on his knees while his fingers were twined beneath his chin. A slight furrow was visible of his brow, the slightest downward tilt to his lips showing in an expression of deep thought.

Lavi didn't even seem to notice Kanda's presence, his green eye remaining locked firm on some inconsequential piece of the carpeting as though the fibers could tell him all the answers he sought if he just kept staring at it.

Kanda allowed several seconds to pass, his dark gaze remaining locked on the red-head, waiting to see if he would show any sign of noticing the dark haired's presence of his own accord. He didn't, something Kanda found oddly out of character for the pureblood who could never seem to resist any opportunity to irritate him to no end.

Of course Kanda preferred the quiet as opposed to the incessant chatter he had grown to expect from the other blood-sucker but there was something almost unnerving about the other's silence. It was such a rare thing for Lavi to appear so serious, and when he did, Kanda had learned, the plethora of thoughts and possibilities that began to occupy the space within his skull weren't typically things that could be taken lightly by any means.

Inhaling deeply, the noirette closed his eyes, taking a brief moment to savor the quiet before once again letting dark hues open to rest on the distracted ginger. A frown contorted his features, arms coming up to cross over his chest as he leaned against the doorway

"Oi," He finally called, attempting to summon the other's attention. Lavi's body gave a small jolt, the ginger turning to lock that familiar green eye on Kanda with an expression of evident surprise. "Do I _want_ to know what's going on in that damn head of yours?"

Lavi simply stared at him for a couple seconds, seeming to consider before finally speaking up as he leaned back in his seat."Probably not." His legs crossed, arms coming up to do the same behind his head. The lax, carefree position was familiar, and yet it seemed almost out of place with the solemn expression on his features. "But unfortunately you probably need to, anyway."

Kanda didn't respond verbally, instead simply raising on dark brow as, eyes remaining locked on the other in an expectant gaze. Lavi sighed, eye drifting closed for a moment, and Kanda was surprised to see that the skin beneath the emerald hue was darker than usual. His eye reopened after but a moment, his head tilting back so that he was staring up at the ceiling.

"Well, instead of sleeping today I wound up going out. Decided to snoop around a bit and see if I could find out anythin' 'bout what happened, ya know?"

That honestly came as no surprise to the dark haired male. Lavi was a naturally inquisitive creature, after all, even if it may have been a waste of time. "We already know what happened," He stated, shrugging away from the wall and moving to sit on the sofa.

There weren't many details that needed to be dug up, as far as Kanda was concerned. The kid was attacked, probably by some shitty newborn whose sire hadn't been able to keep it on a strong enough leash. Then his house had caught fire at some point after, and his father fell victim to the inferno.

Those were the details they had and the only ones that really mattered had attacked him in the first place. The kid was just a pathetic victim of shitty circumstances, or at least,that's what he had thought and would have been content with believing. But he already knew that if Lavi had gone digging, odds were that it wasn't as simple as that. It no doubt meant there was something missing, some puzzle piece he'd noticed that Kanda hadn't, and if that were the case he was fairly sure he wouldn't be particularly fond of the turn the situation was bound to take.

"C'mon, Kanda. You think it's weird too, don'cha?" Lavi pressed, his brow furrowing faintly, while the corners of his mouth pulled downwards in the faintest of frowns.

"Think _what's_ weird?" The first faint traces of agitation weaved their way into the dark haired's tone, his patience already worn thin at the mere prospect of the situation getting any worse than it already was.

"All the circumstances surrounding Allen," Lavi prompted, one hand moving to run through the flaming strands of his hair. "I mean, c'mon, Yuu. The kid gets attacked and left for dead by some vamp, and then his burned down home just happens to reek of vampire blood? I think anyone would agree that that's pretty damn weird"

"Reeked of what?" A rare expression of surprise crossed Kanda's features, taking away the typically traces of his usual scowl as he eyed the pureblood. Kanda was sure he hadn't misheard, so the other must have misspoken. That was the only logical explanation in Kanda's mind, because there was no way that was the case.

"Hm?" Lavi's visible eye turned from the ceiling to Kanda, a look of mild confusion on his face. "You mean you didn't smell it?"

Kanda's only response was a shake of his head.

He had been trying not to breathe while they were standing near the burnt remains, not wanting to deal with the stench of the ash and burnt stone that had been so present. The need for air was something he no longer experienced beyond the discomfort that came with holding his breath for too long, which he had found himself grateful for on numerous occasions. When he had allowed a breath to slip free and take another, those scents he found so unappealing were too prevalent for him to even try and detect whether or not something else might accompany it. Even taking that into consideration though, it was hard to believe such a potent scent would escape his notice, especially one he found so familiar.

"For real? It was _everywhere,_ Kanda. How could you not smell it?" Lavi exclaimed, straightening up in his seat and simply staring at the other. Kanda's eyes narrowed, and after what appeared to be a moment's consideration Lavi simply shook his head. "Fine, fine. Guess that doesn't matter now. Anyway, I was suspicious so figured it'd be a good idea to see if I can find out anything 'bout the vamp that attacked him or destroyed his home. Also figured it might be a good idea to see if there's anything we should know about Al and his dad."

"Did you manage to dig anything up?" Kanda prompted as Lavi shifted to hunch forward, elbows coming to rest on his knees.

"Well, for one thing I couldn't find anything out about whoever's responsible. They hid their tracks pretty well. I even tried talking to the old Panda, but there aren't supposed to be any other vampires in the area – aside from the ones at the order anyway, and they wouldn't pull something like this."

Kanda turned that revelation over in his head for a moment, unable to help but feel mildly disappointed. How someone could cover their tracks well enough that even Lavi couldn't catch their trail was a mystery to Kanda. Lavi could typically spot even the smallest most minuscule detail with little to no effort, even if he had only glimpsed something for mere fractions of a second.

"I did hear a couple things about the fire though," Lavi added, drawing Kanda from his thoughts and once again taking hold of the dark haired's attention. "Allen too, but you might not like that bit so much..."

Kanda's eyes narrowed at that, his typically scowl beginning to return to his features, and only growing at the prospect of what that could entail. He already wasn't particularly pleased with much of anything where the Moyashi was concerned, he wasn't sure he wanted to know of anything else that might only add to that feeling. "Out with it then, what did you find out?"

"For starters the fire wasn't just some freak accident. Everyone's convinced that it was set deliberately, and I think I agree with them on that one. Also, apparently it happened on the same night you found Allen."

Thinking back on it, Kanda could recall a blaze that night. Could remember growing agitated by the mere smell of smoke as the structure in the distance had been consumed, but he hadn't thought anything of it. It had seemed so irrelevant at the time, all but shoved from his mind when his focus was captured by the alluring scent of the mortal's blood. The possibility that the two were connected hadn't crossed his mind, even after finding the human's home in ruins.

"Do you think the vampire who attacked him is the one that set the fire?" Kanda inquired, head canting ever so slightly to the side.

Lavi shook his head before responding. "I considered that but I doubt it. Pretty sure you would have noticed if there was vampire blood around where you found Allen. Not to mention, if a single vampire lost as much blood as as I smelled at the house, I doubt they'd be able to chase the kid that far without being noticed – assuming they could even chase him at all."

Kanda's scowl only deepened at that information, his mind already trying to make sense of that.

One vampire going out of their way to do all of that, Kanda could almost believe. Maybe someone who had it out for the kid or his dad had been turned and come to seek revenge for whatever petty thing they had done. It wouldn't be the first time a rogue vampire did something stupid to get back at a mortal for something that had happened before they turned. That's what he would have thought at first, but when he took into consideration the other factors Lavi was laying out before him, things only seemed to make less sense.

"I know," Lavi agreed as if he could read Kanda's thoughts. A touch of irritation was just starting to shine through in the ginger's voice, to Kanda's mild surprise. It was rare that Lavi seemed to be at much of a loss, and Kanda could see that not knowing all the details were getting to him more than he was letting on. Sighing, the ginger lifted a hand, running fingers through fiery locks before speaking once again."Unfortunately though, that's not the biggest issue right now."

Kanda couldn't help but scoff.

"We have very different priorities if you honestly think that isn't the biggest issue."

Everything that had already happened were more than enough to draw the Order's attention and that was high on the list of things he didn't _need_ and perhaps the last thing he _wanted_ ; their damn spies sticking their noses into his business and ruining the existence he'd managed to build for himself far away from them and the leash they'd kept him on for so long. The oddities surrounding the situation only added to the likelihood of their interference.

"We usually do," Lavi pointed out, the faintest trace of amusement dancing in his bright eye, though it was quick to fade, once again being overshadowed by the seriousness he so rarely showed. "I think you'll agree that this is a pretty major issue though."

Kanda gave an agitated click of his tongue, gaze shifting away from the other. "Fine. What is it then?"

"The police are looking for Allen."

Slowly, Kanda's gaze returned to the other, the dark hues narrowing ever so slightly. Before he wouldn't have thought that was such a bad thing. Considering the brat hadn't been seen by anyone aside from Lavi and himself over the last few days, it seemed likely that someone would have gone to the police looking for him. However, considering the conversation thus far he had little hope that it could possibly be anything so simple. "Define 'looking for'."

"Well, the last time anyone saw him was shortly before the fire was reported and at the time he was running away from the house." Lavi explained, rubbing lightly at the back of his neck. Kanda felt his apprehension spike, already knowing where this was going and finding himself less than pleased with the possibility."Since he hasn't been seen since then – at least as far as they can gather, they've come to the conclusion that he must be in hiding since he's the one who set the fire and killed his father."

_'Of course.'_ was Kanda's first displeased thought. He found he wasn't even surprised by this revelation. It just figured he'd be right; things really couldn't just be simple for once. Couldn't just have a simple cookie cutter solution that would save him the headache and hassle that was sure to ensue.

"I should have left him in that alley." He finally grumbled, a soft growl vibrating low in his throat as he pushed himself to his feet. "Or maybe I should just hand him over to the damn authorities and let them deal with his grieving ass."

That thought certainly seemed appealing right about now. It was probably the quickest way to get his damn house back, seeing as Lavi would – _hopefully_ – leave soon after Allen did. That would be two problems that were no longer his to deal with, and that thought alone made that idea all the more tempting.

"You don't mean that, Yuu," Lavi stated, a displeased frown crossing his features.

"Don't call me that," Kanda huffed as he moved towards the front door. His hair was still damp as he began gathering it into its usual high ponytail, before tying it in place with a familiar crimson tie. The tassels of the small rope just brushed against his neck, a sensation that he had once found ticklish now barely noticed as he released it, content with its ability to hold. "And what the fuck makes you say that?"

"Because you're not that cruel."

Lavi said it so bluntly without the smallest trace of doubt in his voice that it actually made Kanda pause. An incredulous gaze returned to the ginger, searching for any sign of sarcasm. To Kanda's surprise there wasn't a single trace of teasing or dishonesty on the other's face or in that emerald hued eye.

"You forget who you're talking to," Kanda said after a moment had passed. He allowed a scoff to escape his throat, the sound caught somewhere between mild amusement and disbelief. "Either that or you're an even bigger idiot than I thought."

"I didn't say you never were," Lavi amended, rolling his visible eye as Kanda pulled on the knee length coat they both knew he didn't need. "You aren't now, though."

Kanda gave a quiet huff, pulling his hair from his jacket as he opened the front door. The sun had by now finished its descent, and though it was still too early to hunt he had no desire to sit around here doing nothing but thinking about the shit storm his little act of charity had had pulled him into.

"Definitely a bigger idiot than I thought."

With that, he stepped out, closing the door behind him and effectively putting an end to their unpleasant conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that another chapter draws to a close~!
> 
> So onto my little announcements.
> 
> First off, regarding the future of my other fics for those who are curious; most of them will be being continued. However, first most of them will be heavily edited in order to bring them up to my current standards before they are updated so that could take a moment.
> 
> If you would like to know which fics are being revised and the progress of those revisions, I will be adding a small section to my profile with that information. Another way to keep track if you wish, is to follow my personal on tumblr, I will be making a post each time revisions are completed and the fic updated with the new version. If you would like to follow me on there, my URL is also Starisia.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! ^_^

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed ^_^  
> ❤ Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated ❤  
> Tumblr: Starisia.tumblr.com


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